Open-hearth furnace repair unit



Sept. 24; 1946. J. .1. CAIN, JR

OPEN HEARTH FURNACE REPAIR UNIT Filed Jan. 30, 1945 INVENTOR ATTOR YPatented Sept. 24, 1946.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE OPEN-HEARTH FURNACE REPAIR UNIT John J.Cain, JL, Youngstown, Ohio Application January 30, 1945, Serial No.575,289

4 Claims. 1

This invention relates to an open hearth furnace repair unit and moreparticularly to a repair unit and a method of utilizing the same.

The principal object of the invention is the provision of a repair unitand method for placing the same in effective position in an open hearthfurnace.

A further object of the invention is the provision of apparatusattachable to ordinary furnace loading means for handling a repair unit.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a method ofrepairin the front Wal. of an open hearth furnace.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of a repairunit for an open hearth furnace incorporating means facilitating itsplace ment in position therein.

A still further object of the invention is the provision of means forcharging a repair unit into an open hearth furnace and providing for adouble pivoting action in bringing the repair unit into alignment withthe area to be repaired.

The repair unit and method of installation shown and described hereinhas been designed to facilitate the repair and maintenance of the frontwall portions of open hearth furnaces. t is well known that open hearthfurnace walls frequently burn out and must of necessity be repaired orreplaced with the resultant delay in the processing of the metal in theopen hearth furnace. The present invention contemplates the provision ofapparatus for attachment to the conventional furnace charging machines,which apparatus, by utilizing the mechanism of the furnace chargingmeans, quickly and conveniently charges a preformed repair unit into theopen hearth furnace and moves it into position in the area to berepaired. The repair is, therefore, made through one of the conventionalfront doors of the furnace and depends on the utilization of theconventional furnace charging equipment.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within thescope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of theinvention.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanyin drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of a portion of an open hearth furnaceillustrating one of the charging doors thereof and showing the repairunit and placing means in position therein.

Figure 2 is .a side elevation of a portion of an open hearth furnace andillustrates the repair unit and the apparatus for placing the sametherein in operative position.

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a portion of an open hearth furnace andillustrates the repair unit and apparatus for placing the same afterhaving been turned degrees, the repair unit being pivoted into uprightposition as a result thereof.

Figure 4 is a side elevation of a portion of an open hearth furnace andillustrates the repair unit in position in the area being repaired,

By referring to the drawing and Figures 1 and 2 in particular it will beobserved that an open hearth furnace has been partially illustrated andthat a front wall thereof is generally indicated by.

the numeral IS and that one of the charge openings or doors thereof isindicated by the numeral H. A pair of buck stays i2 are illustratedwhich comprise vertically positioned supports which cooperate with thefurnace struoture in holding the roof thereof in position. Figure 1 adotted section it of the front wall It indicates an area to be repairedand by re-- ferring to the opening or charging door H, as shown therein,it will be observed that a charging arm M is shown extended therethroughinto the interior of the open hearth furnace. An attach ment bracket i5is formed to provide means of attachment between the charging arm. 14and that portion of a conventional open hearth furnace charging machinewhich normally supports the charging box. In utilizing the presentinvention the charging arm [4 is attached to the conventional chargingmachine in place of a conventional charging box, thus enabling thecharging machine equipment to be utilized in effecting a rapid andsatisfactory repair operation.

Still referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the drawing it will be noted thatthe opposite end of the charging arm [4 is provided with a pivotedbracket I6 which is pivoted to the charging arm 14 by means of a pivotIT. The pivoted bracket I8 is provided with a pair of verticallypositioned arms l8 and each of these vertically positioned arms I8 isprovided with a pair of slots l9. The pivoted bracket It serves as amounting means for a repair unit which is carried thereby and hence bythe charging arm l4 and the conventional open hearth charging machine(not shown).

Still referring to Figures 1 and 2 of the draw- 3 ing it will beobserved that the pivoted bracket it of the charging arm M has a repairunit 20 positioned thereon and that the repair unit 20 is held thereonby means of a plurality of headed studs 2| which engage the slots l9 inthe arms I8 of the pivoted bracket Hi. In addition thereto the repairunit 28, which consists of a steel box 2i filled with suitablerefractory materials, is provided with a drilled opening in which a rod22 is positioned in a, manner so that it passes through both the repairunit 20 and an op in one of the arms 3. This rod 22 insures againstthe'displacement of the headed studs 2| from their positions in theslots [9 in the arms [8.

As is well known in th art, conventional open hearth charging machinesare designed to charge a charging box into an open hearth furnace andturn the same more than 90 degrees from the position charged in order todrop the contents into the furnace. In utilizing the present inventionthe charging arm I4 is carried by the con- Ventional charging machine(not shown) and is, therefore, capable of being turned thereby.

By referring to Figure 3 of the drawing it will be observed that thecharging arm M has been turned 90 degrees from the position illustratedin Figure 2 and that as a result of such turning the pivoted bracket l8and the repair unit 26 thereon has swung, as indicated by the arrow,into vertical position immediately beside the charging arm I d andspaced therefrom a distance equal to the thickness of the pivotedbracket l6. In such position the repair unit may then be moved into theindicated location which, in Figures 1, 2 and 3, is indicated by thenumeral l3.

Still referring to Figure 3 it will be observed that the upper portionof the front wall ID of the furnace has been burned away on an irregularangle and means has, therefore, been provided in connection with therepair unit 20 to fill in this space. Such means comprises an extension23 formed on one end of the repair unit, the side sections 24 of whichare formed of very light material so that they will crumble as therepair unit is drawn into place as illustrated in Figur 4. The spacedefined by the metal forms 23 and 24 is filled with appropriate materialsuch as dolomite.

Byreferring now to'Figure 4 of the drawing it will be observed that thecharging arm M has been moved outwardly with respect to the open hearthfurnace thereby bringing the repair unit 20 into position against thebuck stays l2. In such position threaded bolts 25, which were previouslypositioned 'in the repair unit 20, engage cross pieces 26 placed acrossthe buck stays l2 and are secured thereto. Still referring to Figure 4it will be observed that when the repair unit 29 has been moved intoappropriate position against the buck stays 12 of the open hearthfurnace It) the rod 22 is driven from its location in the repair unitand arm l8. This permits the charging machine utilized in handling thechargarm I4 and hence the repair unit to be lowd ered slightly todisengage the slots IS in the arms I 8 from the headed studs H of therepair unit which action permits the charging mechanism including thepivoted bracket 16 to be moved away from the repair unit and Withdrawnthrough the furnace opening.

It will thus be seen that a practical and relatively simple method ofrepairing front walls of open hearth furnaces hasbeen disclosed inaddition to apparatus for effecting such repair.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

-1. Mechanism for repairing an open hearth furnace wall and including acharging arm having a bracket pivoted to one end thereof, the saidcharging arm adapted for mounting on a conventional charging machine,means formed on said bracket for carrying a repair piece, said bracketso formed as to pivot the repair piece into upright position upon thecharging arms being turned degrees as by the charging machine.

2. In a mechanism for repairing an open hearth wall and including acharging arm adapted to be attached to a charging mechanism and extendedinto an open hearth furnace, a bracket pivotally affixed to saidcharging arm for holding a repair piece in a, horizontal and in avertical position, the said pivoted bracket adapted to turn the saidrepair piece from horizontal to vertical position upon the said chargingarms being rotated 90 degrees so as to bring the repair piece intoappropriate position for movement into an area to be repaired.

3. A device for attachment to an open hearth furnace charging mechanism,said devic provided for the placement of a repair piece in the frontwall of the said furnace and consisting of a charging arm having abracket pivoted to an outermost end thereof, the said bracket havingmeans formed thereon for holding a repair piece, the said pivot beinglocated off-center with respect to the said bracket and repair piece,and the bracket and repair piece thereby adapted to turn from horizontalcharging position into vertical patching position upon the partialrotatio of the charging arm by the said furnace charging mechanism. a

4. A device for attachment to an open hearth furnace charging mechanism,said device provided for the placement of a repair piece in the frontwall of the said furnace and consisting of a [charging arm having abracket pivoted to an outermost end thereof, the said bracket havingmeans formed thereon for holding a repair piece,

the said pivot being located off-center with respect to the said bracketand repair piece and the bracket and repair piece thereby adapted toturn from horizontal charging position into vertical patching positionupon the partial rotation of the charging arm by the said furnacecharging mechanism. a 7

JOHN J. CAIN, JR.

